Nearly half of schools to remain shut in big freeze

CHILDREN from around half the country’s 4,000 schools are getting an extended Christmas holiday because of the freezing weather, which may also cause childcare and transport headaches for working parents.

The majority of the schools that are unable to reopen this morning are in rural areas and most will stay closed until Monday, in many cases due to burst pipes or problems with heating systems.

Media reports from some regions last night listed more than 600 schools that would not open today, the highest numbers being in western coastal counties.

All but a few dozen of around 170 Kerry schools are closed, although only around 20 schools in neighbouring Cork were expected to remain shut today.

In Donegal, around 120 schools may be closed, while other counties with high proportions of schools closing include Tipperary (at least 40 schools), Clare (more than 30 schools), Sligo and Leitrim (around 100 between them).

Heavy snow in the east yesterday means at least 120 Kildare and Wicklow schools will not open until next week, while dozens of Dublin and Wexford schools made the same decision.

The weather caused traffic chaos yesterday around Dublin, where most bus services were cancelled from mid-afternoon and commuter train services delayed. Dublin airport cancelled all flights from 3pm and only started letting planes land and take off after 8pm

Labour Party education spokesman Ruairi Quinn said “a dust of snow” should not force the country’s schools to shut down, but the Irish Primary Principals Network said decisions were based on the health and safety of pupils and staff.